Process and apparatus for manufacturing finely divided carbon



16, 1932- Q A. L. STROUT ET AL ,8

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING FINELY DIVIDED CARBON Filed July 7. 1928 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARCHIE L. STROUT AND ERNEST LYDER, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO STANDARD OIL COMP-ANY OF CALIFORNIA, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A; COR- PORA'IION OF DELAWARE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING FINELY DIVIDED CARBON Application filed 'July 7, 1928. Serial No. 291,096.

This invention relates to a -method of manufacturing finely divided carbon, such as is commonly called lamp black or carbon black, in a simple and efficient manner and to an apparatus by means of which the process may be readily controlled and regulated. The method and apparatus are particularly designed and adapted for the manufacture of finely divided carbon from hydrocarbon oil such as petroleum.

An object of this invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a finely divided carbon of uniform grade in a continuous manner.

1. Another object is to provide a method of increasing the capacity of any process of manufacturing lamp black. 1

Another object is to provide a methodof controlling the combustion temperatures dur ing the manufacture of finely divided carbon from petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil.

' Another object is to provide a methodof accurately controlling the quality of finely divided carbon made from petroleum or other hydrocarbon in oil."

Another object isto provide a method for manufacturing finely divided carbon from petroleum or other hydrocarbon oils, wherein air supplied for combustion of petroleum oils is controlled by the quantity of air introduced for cooling purposes.

Another object is to provide means for regulating the combustion of a hydrocarbon oil'during'the manufacturing of finely divided carbon.

A still further object is to provide means for controlling the combustion temperatures of petroleum or other hydrocarbon oils during the manufacture of finely divided carbon therefrom. v

Another object is to provide means whereby air supplied for combustion of petroleum or other hydrocarbon oils'is controlled by the quantity of air introduced for cooling purposes.

Although it has been well known that incomplete combustion of oil will result in the formation of finely divided carbon, lamp black, or what is commonly termed as smoke, there has been a great deal of difficulty encounteredin producing lamp black in this manner, and it. has been particularly diflicult to produce a product of uniform and specified quality. The temperatures at which oil is burned under reducing conditions, or under such conditions as produce incomplete combustion and large quantities of finely dividedcarbon, exert a material efiect upon the fineness, tar content, color and tinting strength of the final product. A fairly large burner having an area of oil burning under I conditions of incomplete combustion will present diificulties,in.that the outer edges of the area of burningoil are more completely oxidized and, therefore, the temperature of combustion at these points is considerably higher than the temperature of combustion in the central portion of the, burning oil area. Operation under these conditions results in the formation of various forms of lamp black or carbon, and in an inferior product.

We have ascertained that a lamp black or carbon with a blue undertone has a very low tinting strength, While alamp black or carbon'having'a red undertone, has a very high tintingstrength.- Both of these twogrades of carbon can be made simultaneously in an apparatus such as is commonly usedand the final product is of poor quality. We have found that those grades of lampblack having a high tinting strength, may be made by maintaining the combustion temperaturesat relatively low ranges. Although it is relap tively easy to .maintaina low combustion temperature over a small total area of burning oil surface, such regulation applied to a large total surface has beenextremely difficult, if not impossible. Our invention provides a means for maintaining the temperature of combustion over a large total area. within close limits and provides a method of regulating the temperature of combustionin a novel and most effective manner.

In describing our invention, reference shall be had to the appended drawing which illustrates one form of apparatus which may be used in carrying out the method herein described and one modification of an apparatus which We have invented for the purposes hereinafter more clearly described.

It will be understood, however, that we are not limited to the exact construction, arrangement and combination of elements shown in the drawing, as the apparatus shownthereinis purely for illustrative purposes, and numerous modifications and changes may he made without departing from 10 is provided having the burner pan 11' mounted therein. A plurality of pipes, ducts or other air supply means are sealed through the bottom of the burner pan 11, the upper edges of the air supply means 12 terminating in a plane slightly below the outer edges of the burner pan 11.

a The burner pan 11 may be continuously supplied with a suitable oil from any suitable source, such as, for example, a tank 13 connected by means of pipe line 14; with the burner pan 11. A control valve 15 may be placed in the linelt so as to regulate the quantity of oil supplied to the burner pan. The oil undergoes incomplete combustion in the burner pan 11 and a temporary excess of oil supplied to the burner pan 11 through pipe line 14-, will be discharged therefrom. through the air ducts 12 to the pit 16, beneath. the. combustion chamber, by reason of the fact that the upper ends of the air ducts 12 are below the plane of the outer edges of the burner'pan 11. This particular construction prevents the burning oil from overflowing into the space surrounding theburnerpan'11, and thereby interfering with a uniform regulated combustion ofthe oil. Excess oil discharged from the combustion .chamber through air ducts 12 may be caught in the pit 16 in a suitable tank or other container. An auxiliary damper 17' may be provided beneath the lower end of the air ducts 12, suitable means being provided for regulating the damper 17, such means not being shown in the drawing. The space between the damper 17 and pit 16 may be open to the air to permit air to be admitted to the ail-ducts 12. v 1

The combustion gases from the combustion chamber 10 are discharged by pipe means 18 into a separating apparatus adapted to remove coarse particles of carbon, tarry matters and the like, from the combustion gases. Such separating apparatus may consist of a substantially air-tight drop-out drum 19 provided with a conical bottom 20 and a valved outlet 21 in the lower portion of said conical bottom. The pipe line 18 connecting the combustion or reduction chamber 10 with the drop-out drum 19 may terminate within the drum 19 in a lower horizontal plane than that ofan outlet 22, leading away from the dr p the combustion or reduction chamber 10. In

other words, the entire system from the combustion Zone to the eXhauster 2a is maintained under a partial pressure or vacuum. An air valve 25 in communication with the atmosphere or other source of cool air at a greater pressure than that existing in line 23, may be provided in the pipe line 23 so as to admit air for cooling purposes into the system. It will be understood that if more air is admitted or sucked in through the valve 25, then a smaller proportion of air will be admitted to the sys-' tern through the air ducts 12. In this manner, the supply of air for the purposes of regulating the temperature of combustion in the burner pan 11 and combustion zone 10 is regulated by the vadmission of cooling air through the valve 25.

The cooled products of combustion are then discharged by means of the eXhauster and constant speed fan 24, through suitable means such as the pipe line 26, into a final separating apparatus adapted to remove and separate finely divided carbon particles from the combustion gases.

The apparatus shown in the drawing for illustrative purposes, consists of a manifold 27 into which the pipeline 26 discharges the combustion gases. Collecting bags 28 may besuspended from the manifold 27 the collecting bags 28 being of sufiiciently fine texture to retain the finely divided carbon present in the combustion gases, but sufficiently permeable or pervious so as to allow the dustfree gases to be discharged therethrough. The collecting bags 28 may be provided with outlets 29 through which finely divided carbon collected in the bags may be removed for packing, storing, shipping and other purposes.

A release valve 30 may be provided in the manifold 27, said release valve being capable of discharging the products of combustion from the manifold, whenever the pressure within the manifold 27 and collecting bags 28 exceeds a predetermined pressure. Pressure may be built up within the manifold 27 and collecting bags 28 by the accumulation of a layer ofcfinely divided carbon upon the inner surface of the collecting bags, thereby increasing the impermeability or resistance to the nema-9 passage of gas through the walls of'the' col- It will 'be' understood that the collecting :means herein described are merely for purposes of illustrationand although such means are extremely effective and have the further .at the pipe line 18 instead of admitting such air into the pipe line 23. The admission of cooling air into the system at pipeline 18 may have certain advantages over the arrangement shown in the'drawing, in that tarry materials present in the gasesof combustion may be somewhat cooled and condensed before reaching the primary separating apparatus or drop-out drum 19, thereby more thoroughly cleansingthe combustion gases of undesirable constituents.

The burner pan ll'may be made of any suitable material such as metal, refractory-ware a-nd'the like. Air may also be admitted-tothe reduction or combustion chamber 10 by means of openings formed between the outer edges of the burner pan '11 and the supports upon which it rests in thebottom of thecombustion The admission of'air uniformlyjover the entire area of the surface of the burning oil in the burner pan 11 prevents localized-increase in combustion temperatures, permits a more careful and accurate control offthe combustion temperatures,'and'thereby insures a more uniform quality of product, a-larger capacity for the same areaof burning oil surface. and permits the production ofthose grades of finely divided carbon, lamp black, carbon black and the like, which are only obtained by the use of controlled temperatures of incomplete combustion.

The operation of the system and apparatus hereinabove described will be evident to those skilled in the art, and it is not deemed necessary to go into further details. It may be stated, however, that temperature control instruments such as pyrometers may be placed in the upper portion of the combustion chamber, in the primary separating apparatus or drop-out drum and in the pipe line 26, so that an accurate control may be maintained of the entire operation. Furthermore, a pressure gage or manometermaybeconnected to the system near the junction of pipe line 26 with manifold 27, so as to prevent over-,

loading the collection bags 28. These and other operating details come within the scope of changes and modifications which anyone skilled in the art may make.

We claim:

1. A method of manufacturing finely divided carbon from petroleum oil comprising, maintaining an area of petroleum oil underv going"independent incompletecombustion in I a c0mbus'tion zone, continually "admitting air at a gplurality' of points .within and on said area of petroleum oil, regulating the quantity of air being admitted to maintain aniincomplete combustion'over the entire area of goil within required temperature limits withoutfthe supplyof extraneous and separate heat to the oil, cooling the products of combustion' andth'en separating solid carbon particles from such cooled products of "combustion.

' 1 2'. A method pfmanufacturing finely divided carbon from petroleum oil comprising,

--1naintaining an area ofpetroleum oil undergoing-incomplete combustion lna combus- 'tion zone, continuously admitting air in a plurality ofpoints within and -on said "area of petroleum oil, regulating thequantity of airbeing admitted'to maintain uniform incomplete combustion over the entire 'area'o'f oil, separating tarry and coarse,-solid particles from the products of combustion, cooling the purified products of combustion and then separating solid carbon particlesfrom such cooled products of combustion.

A method of manufacturing finely divided carbon'from petroleum oil comprising, maintaining anarea ofpetr'oleum 011 in a "combustion zone, continually admitting air ataplurality of points onsa-id area of petroleum :oil, exhausting productso-f combustion from said combustion zone by the application 10f a constant volume suction to the system, introducing cooling air into the system between'thecombustion zone and source of suction, and regulating the quantity of air admitted tothe combustion zone "by varying :the quantity of coo'l'ingair admitted intothe system between the combustion zone and sourceof suction. I

4s. ,A method of manufacturing finely divided carbon c'omprising, maintaining an area of oil capable of combustion in a combustion 'zone, continua'lly admitting air at a plurality zof :points on said areaof oil in quantities insufiicint to cause complete combustion, exhausting products of combustion from said combustion zone by applying a constant vol- !ume suction to the system, introducing cooling-air into the systemfbetween the combustionzone and souroe of suction and regulating the temperature of combustion within saidcombustion zone by varying the quanxtity of cooling air admitted into the system.

5. A. method of manufacturing finely Zdivided; carbon comprising, maintaining an aJ-reaof oil'capable'of combustion in acombustionzone, continually admitting air ata plurality of points on said area :of, oil in quantities insufficient to cause complete combustion,

exhausting products of 'combustion fromsaid combustion zone by applying a constant volumewof suction to the system, introducing cooling airinto the system between the combustion zoneand source of suction, regulating the temperature of combustion-within said combustion zone by varying the quantity of cooling air admitted into the system and then separating finely divided carbon from the cooled combustion gases. 6. An apparatus for manufacturing lamp black from a combustible oil comprising, a combustion'chamber, a burner pan within said combustion chamber, means for supply- .iing a combustible oil to said burner pan, a plurality of means for introducing air to the surface ofthe burner pan at a plurality of points, means for separating solid particles .ifromthe combustion gases, means for conducting combustion, gases from said combus- ;tion chamber to said separating means, said conducting means including a suction means for withdrawing combustion gasesrfrom said combustion chamber, and means for introducing cooling air into said conducting 'means at a point between said suction means and combustion chamber,

7.. An apparatus for the manufacture of lamp black from petroleum oil comprising, a combustion chamber, a burner pan within said chamber, means for supplying petroleum oil' to said burner pan, a plurality of means for introducing air to the surface of the burner pan ata plurality ofpoints, means for separating coarse material from combustion gases, pipe means connecting said combustion chamber and coarse material separating-means, means for separating finely divided carbon from combustion gases, pipe means connecting the coarse material separating means and fine carbon separating means, suction means in said last namedpipe means, said suction means being adapted to discharge gases into said fine carbon separating means, and means for introducing cooling .air into said last named pipe means at a point between said coarse material separating meansand suction means. i I

8. An apparatus for the manufacture of finely divided carbon from petroleum oils comprising, a combustion chamber, a burner tities insufiicient to cause complete combustion, exhausting products of combustion from said combustion zone by applymg a constant volume of suction to the system, introducing cooling air into the system between the combustion zone and source of suction, regulating the temperature of combustion withinv said combustion zone by varying the quantity of cooling air admitted into the system, separating tarry and coarse solid particles from the products of combustion before introduc- -1ng cooling air thereinto, and separatmg finely divided carbon from the cooled combustion gases; i

10. An apparatus for manufacturing lamp black from a combustible oil comprising, a combustion chamber, a burner pan within said chamber, means for supplying combustible oil to said burner pan, means for introducing air to the surface of oil in said burner at a point between said suction means and combustion chamber.

Signed at Richmond, Cal," this 27th day of June1928.

V ARCHIE L. STROUT.

ERNEST E. LYDER.

pan within said chamber, means for supplying petroleum oil to said burner pan, means for introducing air to the surface of the burner pan at a plurality of points comprising a plurality of spaced air ducts passing through the bottom of said burner pan, the upper endsofsaid air ducts terminating below the level of the top edges of said burner pan, means for cooling combustion gases, means for separating finely divided carbon from said combustion gases, and pipe means 7 connecting said combustion chamber, cooling means and separating means.

9. A method of manufacturing finely die vided carboncomprising maintaining an area of oil capable of combustion in. a combustion V zone, continually admitting air at a plurality of spaced points on said area of'oil in quan- 

